Fire-escape



(No Modei.) E. BOVENSIEP.

PIRE BSGAPE.' f

Patented Mar. 27, 1888.

UNITEDV lSTATES PATENT GFFICE.

, ERNST BOVENSIEP, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part'of Letters Patent No. 380,173, dated March 27, 1888.

l Application filed January 19, 1888. Serial No. 261,259. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, ERNsT BovENsIEP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented'certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes, of which the following 1s a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in :fire-escapes; and the invention consists in the peculiar arrangement, construction, and combination of the different parts, all as more fully hereinafter described.

In the drawings which accompany this specication, Figure l is a perspective view of the device complete for use. Fig. 2 is an elevation with the front plate removed. Fig. 3 is a central vertical cross-section. Fig. 4 is a cen-- tral horizontal cross-section.

Fig. 5 is a section onlineyy in Fig. 2.

A is the casing.

Bis the front plate of the casing, -removably secured thereto by means of the screws or bolts a.

0 C are openings formed in thetop andbottom of the casing for the rope Dto run through.

E is a conical plug, centrally supported in the case at one end by a squared bearing, b, and at theA front end by the bearing c, which is provided with screw-threads, whichengage the screw-nut d, actuated by the hand-lever e.

Fis apulley loosely fitting the conical plug and radially divided into segments. lt, is preferably made of wood with metal bearings on the conical plug.

G are segmental circular abutments stationarily secured within the case concentric with the segmentally-divided pulley F. To this end the abutments are preferablyof metal, with the ends bent to form` eyes f, which engage upon bosses g, formed upon the inside of the case.

H are flanges formed on the abutments to guide the rope, which is supposed to run loosely around the pulley F, except when the segments are expanded by means of the conical plug E.

The case A is provided on one side with the loop I and on the other side with a buckle, J, and K is a strapsecured at one end to the loop I and adapted to be adjustably engaged with its free end to the buckle J.

' L is a crotch-strap secured by aloop, h, to the strap K,and terminating at its free end in a hook adapted to be engaged with either one for it on the face of is supposed to be of sufficient length to reach Y Vfrom an elevated position to the ground. The

operator secures one end of the rope lfirmly to a convenient support-such as a railing, Window-sash, or other object-and lets the other end trailto the ground. Now, by means of the waistband or strap K and the strap L, which is passed between the legs and hooked to the lower one of 'the buttonsi, the operator secures the device on his breast, and after turning the handle e so as to expand the segments v of the pulley sufficiently to clamp the rope firmly between the face of the pulley and the abutments G, he trusts himself to the rope. As long as the rope remains firmly clamped the operator will keep suspended in the air;

vbutas soonashe turns the handle e in the reverse direction the rope can be made to run more or less freely through the device under the control of the operator, who thereby guides his descent to the ground.

The device, as will be seen, is made reversible, so that in case of repeated use no time may be lost. All that need be done is to' reverse the rope. v

The whole device, with the exception ofthe pulley, if desired,.is preferably made of metal, which makes it amply strong to support the weight of a man and permits-of making it of small size convenient to be carried around in the trunk of the traveler.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In a fire-escapefthe combination of the case and securing-straps, the conical plug slidingly secured in the case, the segmentally-divided rope-pulley sleeved thereon, the stationary abutments concentric with the rope-pulley, the rope passing through the case and around the rope-pulley, and the lever having a screw-thread Yengagement with theconical plug, all arranged to operate substantially as described.

2. In a fire-escape, the combination, with the case, the rope passing through the oase, the rope friction device, consisting, essentially, of an expansible pulley and an expander, subrc stantially as described, the controlling-handle thereof, the loop provided on one side of the case, the buckle provided on the opposite side, the waist-strap, the hook on the crotch-strap, and the buttons on the case for engaging therewith, all substantially as described.

3. In a fire-escape, the combination, with YERNST BOVENSIEP.

Witnesses: Y

JAs. WHITTEMORE, ADOLPH BARTHEL. 

